Want to Print Your Own Money, Think Again!

Computer scanning and editing of bank notes is highly controlled in order to foil counterfeiting attempts. Adobe Photoshop and certain scanners have built- in counterfeit deterrence systems, resulting in a warning message popping up should you try to access a currency image. It is reputed that certain patches are available to bypass these security measures.

General information about the reproduction of banknotes:

The Counterfeit Detection Act of 1992, Public Law 102-550, in Section 411 of Title 31 of the Code of Federal Regulations, permits color illustrations of U.S. currency, provided that:

the illustration is of a size less than three-fourths or more than one and one-half, in linear dimension, of each part of the item illustrated;

the illustration is one-sided; and

all negatives, plates, positives, digitized storage medium, graphic files, magnetic medium, optical storage devices and any other thing used in the making of the illustration that contain an image of the illustration or any part thereof are destroyed and/or deleted or erased after their final use.

Reproduction in printed media:

Reproduction for advertising purposes:Section 475,Chapter 25, Title 18, Part I of the US Code [Imitating obligations or securities; advertisements] states that whoever designs, engraves, prints, makes, or executes, or utters, issues, distributes, circulates, or uses any business or professional card, notice, placard, circular, handbill, or advertisement in the likeness or similitude of any obligation or security of the United States issued under or authorized by any Act of Congress or writes, prints, or otherwise impresses upon or attaches to any such instrument, obligation, or security, or any coin of the United States, any business or professional card, notice, or advertisement, or any notice or advertisement whatever, shall be fined under this title.